hopkins



March 24, 1964 J. H HOPKINS MOUNTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct.16, 1961 INVENTOR. Joseph H. Hopkins His Af forney March 1964 J. H.HOPKINS MOUNTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16. 1961 Fig. 8

v INVENTOR. Joseph H. Hopkins H/s Attorney United States Patent3,126,183 MOUNTING MEANS Joseph H. Hopkins, Warren, Ohio, assign'or toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of DelawareFiled Oct. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 145,303 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-73) Thisinvention relates to mounting means and, more particularly, to aone-piece device which can be used to carry articles such as a pipe, baras well as conductor means adjacent to an apertured panel.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved one-piecemounting means of moldable plastic material which can embracelongitudinally extending articles free of any tape-like wrapping andwhich can be readily assembled into position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an allplastic mountingmeans including a pair of opposite though complementary hinged bodyportions joined by an intermediate portion and adapted to be interlockedto provide alignment of nose-like barbed lug means formed integrallywith each of the hinged portions and collectively embraceable about anarticle to be carried thereby adjacent to an apertured mounting panel.

A further object of this invention is to provide an allplastic motmtingmeans transversely to embrace a longitudinally extending article andhaving at least one pair of hinged body portions interconnected to eachother by a web of reduced thickness of material such as poly propyleneand the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cable and conduitloop-type clamp means of moldable plastic material of relative straightas well as J-shaped hinged portions interconnected by a single web ofreduced thickness to facilitate folding into a closed loop as aclamplike mounting means.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention areclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of an all-plastic mounting means includingcomplementary interlocking portions hingedly connected to each other andadapted for use in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the mounting means of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end view in the direction of arrow 3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the mounting means of FIGURES l, 2 and 3having portions folded to interlock in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIGURE 5 is a side view of another embodiment of a loop-type clampmeans.

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 represent side, end and top views, respectively, offolded clamp means of FIGURE 5.

During manufacture and assembly of motor vehicles a need exists forproper positioning of various components includ'mg grouped conductormeans as a wiring harness as well as tubular or pipe-like members forfuel lines and the like. Use of metal clips for mounting such componentscan be detrimental since metal can wear through conductor insulatingmaterial due to vibration and rubbing and. metal clips can also causepipes made of bendable material to wear through and result in fuelleakage which can prove to be quite troublesome. Use of a Wrapped tapeor covering as disclosed in Patent 2,931,- 851-Sims belonging to theassignee of the present invention is useful in some locations butotherwise can involve added expense and labor which may be impractical.The

3,126,183 Patented Mar; 24, 1964 mounting means of the present inventioncan be secured to single wires and possibly multiple wires as well aspipe or bar means for positioning the same in a location adjacent to anapertured mounting panel.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a mounting means generally lndicated bynumeral 10 and made of moldable plastic material in one piece to embracelongitudinally extending articles free of any tape-like wrapping orcovering. The mounting means 10 includes a pair of hinged body portrons11 and 12 symmetrically joined by a pair of identical and integralhinges 13 of reduced thickness of moldable plastic material to anintermediate portion 14. The pair of hinged body portions 11-12 andintegral intermediate portion 14 can be molded in an open condition orstate as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 and each of the hinged bodyportions 11-12 per se can be moved into a delta configuration with theintermediate portion 14. Extending longitudinally in opposite directionsand integral with each of the body portions there are semi-arcuate shankportions 15 and 16 having a rounded outer periphery but substantiallyflattened along a pair of slightly tapered complementary surfaces 17 and18 extending from the shank portions 15-16 to barbed lug means orsemiconical head portions 19 and 20 each providing a semiannularshoulder or abutment 21 and 22, respectively. These shoulders 21 and 22extend laterally outwardly and the barbed lug means 1? and 20 can beflexed toward each other to a limit determined by face to faceengagement of the surfaces 17-18 during insertion of the lug means 19-20into an opening or aperture of a mounting means H outlined in FIGURE 4.

As can be seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the hinged body portion 11 alsoincludes a J-shaped latching section 23 integral between the hinged bodyportion 11 and shank 15 and providing a laterally inwardly extendingcorner 24 adapted to engage an interlock with a complementary corner 25of a J-shaped section 26 integral intermediate the hinged body portion12 and shank 16. It is to be noted that the shoulders or abutments 24-25of these J-shaped sections extend somewhat more than halfway relative tothe width of the intermediate portion 14 and thus these shoulders 24 canbe momentarily flexed laterally away from each other and then caused tohook into engagement with each other for holding the halves of thebarbed lug means 19-2il in alignment as represented in FIGURE 4 suchthat partially arcuate recesses 27, 28 and 29 in the hinged bodyportions 11 and 12 as well as the intermediate portion 14, respectively,form a through passage 3t) shown in FIGURE 4 adapted to receive a singleor a pair of members having an outer periphery engageable by atransverse, centrally located and inwardly extending projection 31 whichcan either directly engage outer periphery of a single wire or which canmaintain spacing of a pair of wires by being spaced or wedgedtherebetween as the hinged body portions 11-12 as well as intermediateportion 14 transversely embrace the wiring or other tubular articles tobe mounted adjacent to a mounting panel M having a hole or aperturetherein into which the shanks 15-16 extend. The semi-arcuatecomplementary abutments or shoulders 21-22 engage a peripheral edge onone side of the mounting panel M and on an opposite side of the panelthe J-shaped sections 23-26 of the hinged body portion 11-12,respectively, engage a peripheral edge defining the opening through thepanel so that conductor means or conduits indicated by a reference C andoutlined in FIGURE 4 can be carried in predetermined spaced relationadjacent to the mount ing panel M. Thus, the mounting means 10 serves asa clamp for holding cable, bundle of cables, wiring harness means,conduit pipe, tubing, etc. in place when installed. The integral hinges13 of reduced thickness of moldable plastic material are provided onopposite sides of the intermediate portion 14 as the one-piece mountingmeans is molded in an unfolded or open condition subject to folding andinstallation as represented by a view of FIG- URE 4. The pair of hinges13 permit folding of the hinge and body portions 11 and 12 toward eachother while simultaneously forming and providing complementarypositioning of the barbed lug means 19-20 and interlocking or latchingof the abutments or shoulders 2425 to maintain embracing relationship ofthe hinged body portions 1112 as well as intermediate portion 14relative to longitudinally extending articles or members such as theconductors or conduits C. Use of two or three separate pieces withseparate hinge parts therebetween would be considerably more expensiveand would not be as easy and quick to assemble as the one-piececonstruction of the present invention which can be made of plasticmaterial such as polypropylene and the like. When it is necessary toremove the conduits or conductors C from a position adjacent to themounting panel it is possible to flex the semi-conical heads 19-24] orbarbed lug means toward each other to a limit determined by engagementof the tapered surfaces 17-18 followed by axial movement of the shanks1516 and barbed lug means through the aperture of the mounting panel M.The mounting means can be removed from transverse positioning on theconductors or conduits C by flexing the interlocking shoulders 24-25away from each other to permit separation of the hinged body portions 11and 12 for removal of the conduits or conductors C from the passage 30.The mounting means 10 can be made in a mold requiring only two parts orcomplementary pieces rather than a three-piece mold which is morecomplicated and expensive. By folding the hinged body portions 1112 andintermediate portion 14 together as permitted by the pair of transverseintegral hinges 13 of reduced thickness of plastic material it ispossible to embrace the conduit or conductor members C without need forany holes in the mounting means though opposite ends thereof form barbedand complementary lug means or a lateral projection collectively formedintegral with the mounting means. The pair of hinges permits folding ofthe hinged body portions 11--12 around the conduits or conductors whileat the same time bringing into position the abutments 2425 for interlockor latching to hold the mounting means 10 in place and also to align theprotrusions or lug means 1920 used to assemble the mounting means inapertures or holes of a mounting panel such as M. The mounting means 10can be used to particular advantage for one or two conductors orconduits Where provision of a wrapping or tape covering, as disclosed inPatent 2,931,85lSims, would involve unnecessary expense for material andcost of added operations.

FIGURES 5 through 8 illustrate another embodiment of a loop-type clampmeans generally indicated by numeral 40. This clamp means includes arelatively straight first body portion 41 and a substantially J-shapedsecond body portion 42. FIGURE 5 illustrates the clamp means 40 asmolded to have a single web-like hinge portion 43 joining the first bodyportion 41 and second body portion 42. This single hinge portion 43 isthinner than the first and second body portions 4142. The weblike hingeportion 43 in its initial condition is formed by a flat surface 45located in a plane substantially parallel to the relatively straightbody portion 41 and the moldable plastic material such as polypropyleneof which the clamp means 40 is made tends to retain its initial moldedshape such that the fiat surface 45 is urged to remain in such parallelrelationship to the relatively straight body portion 41 so as tomaintain spread of the body portions 4142 away from each other until thebody portions are folded as indicated in views of FIGURES 6, 7 and 8.The web-like hinge portion 43 on a surface opposite to that indicated bynumeral 43 has an arcuate or semicircular periphery 47 and folding ofthe body portions 41-42 into a closed loop results in alignment of holesor apertures 48 and 49 through which suitable fastening means such as arivet, screw, bolt and the like can be passed. The body portions 4142form a passage 50 into which one or more conduits or conductors can befitted to be held adjacent to a mounting panel having an aperture intowhich suitable fastening means can be inserted. Reference can be made tocopending applications S.N. 145,358-Christman and SN. 145,39 6--Kroppboth filed concurrently herewith and belonging to the assignee of thepresent invention and representing further modifications of structuresdisclosed herein.

While the embodiments of the present invention herein disclosedconstitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A one-piece mounting means of moldable plastic material, comprising,a pair of opposite though complementary body portions initiallyextending in opposite directions, an intermediate portion integralbetween said body portions, a pair of reduced thickness hingesintegrally to join said intermediate portion to said body portions,complementary interlock means integral with each of said body portionsand engageable with each other to maintain embracing positioning of thecomplementary body portions and intermediate portion aroundlongitudinally extending articles such as conduits, conductors and thelike, and barbed semi-arcuate lug means projecting from each of saidbody portions positionable adjacent to each other for installation in amounting panel aperture, said hinged body portions having the same widthas said intermediate portion though said interlock means hassubstantially half the width of said intermediate portion and has asemi-arcuate shank and semi-conical shoulder projection integraltherewith to be positioned laterally face to face during installation ofsaid mounting means.

2. A one-piece mounting means of moldable plastic material, comprising,a pair of opposite though complementary body portions initiallyextending in opposite directions, an intermediate portion integralbetween said body portions, a pair of reduced thickness hingesintegrally to join said intermediate portion to said body portions,complementary interlock means integral with each of said body portionsand engageable with each other to maintain embracing positioning of thecomplementary body portions and intermediate portion aroundlongitudinally extending articles such as conduits, conductors and thelike, and barbed semi-arcuate lug means projecting from each of saidbody portions positionable adjacent to each other for installation in amounting panel aperture, each of said hinged body portions including asubstantially hook-shaped latch section each having end shouldersthereof extending over halfway the width of said intermediate portionand thereby providing said complementary interlock means.

3. A one-piece mounting means of moldable plastic material, comprising,a pair of opposite through complementary body portions initiallyextending in opposite directions, an intermediate portion integralbetween said body portions, a pair of reduced thickness hingesintegrally to join said intermediate portion to said body portions,complementary interlock means integral with each of said body portionsand engageable with each other to maintain embracing positioning of thecomplementary body porions and intermediate portion aroundlongitudinally extending articles such as conduits, conductors and thelike, and barbed semi-arcuate lug means projecting from each of saidbody portions positionable adjacent to each other for installation in amounting panel aperture, each of said hinged body portions having ahook-shaped latch section angularly integral therewith and each carryingan outwardly semi-arcuate shank and semi-conical barbed lug means, eachsaid shank and lug means sharing a tapered inner face to be spaced apredetermined distance from counterparts thereof as said hinged bodyportions are folded toward each other over said intermediate portion2,992,801 having a transverse projection centrally therewith. 2, 9

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,061,463 Hall Nov. 17, 1936 2,969,570 Petri Jan. 31, 1961 874,813

6 Lander July 18, 1961 Holton Aug. 15, 1961 Schmitt Jan. 2, 1962 Orenicket al May 7, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 10, 1961

1. A ONE-PIECE MOUNTING MEANS OF MOLDABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL, COMPRISING,A PAIR OF OPPOSITE THOUGH COMPLEMENTARY BODY PORTIONS INITIALLYEXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION INTERGRALBETWEEN SAID BODY PORTIONS, A PAIR OF REDUCED THICKNESS HINGESINTERGRALLY TO JOIN SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION TO SAID BODY PORTIONS,COMPLEMENTARY INTERLOCK MEANS INTERGRAL WITH EACH OF SAID BODY PORTIONSAND ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OTHER TO MAINTAIN EMBRACING POSITIONING OF THECOMPLEMENTARY BODY PORTIONS AND INTERMEDIATE PORTION AROUNDLONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ARTICLES SUCH AS CONDUITS CONDUCTORS AND THELIKE, AND BARBED SEMI-ARCUATE LUG MEANS PROJECTING FROM EACH OF SAIDBODY PORTIONS POSITIONABLE ADJACENT TO ECH OTHER FOR INSTALLATION IN AMOUNTING PANEL APERTURE, SAID HINGED BODY PORTIONS HAVING THE SAME WIDTHAS SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION THOUGH SAID INTERLOCK MEANS HASSUBSTANTIALLY HALF THE WIDTH OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND HAS ASEMI-ARCUATE SHANK AND SEMI-CONICAL SHOULDER PROJECTION INTERGRALTHEREWITH TO BE POSITIONED LATERALLY FACE TO FACE DURING INSTALLATION OFSAID MOUNTING MEANS.